Best believe that Gojo nearly got whiplash
from that singular slap. He saw the stars for
a second, his life almost flashing before his eyes.
Probably half of Shoko's pent up anger was put
into it. She did not feel bad at all, it's least she could do to somewhat avenge Y/n in a way.

Immediately after, Shoko dragged Gojo away
from the hallways and into the parking lot by the wrist, receiving curious stares from the passersby that they paid no attention to.

The echoing strodes of Shoko and heavy staggering footsteps of Gojo halted once they
reached a secluded area. The tall man released
a breath that he didn't even know he was holding
the moment Shoko freed him from her strong grasp, it would most definately leave an ache and a red mark.

"What was that for?" he knows what that slap
meant, it's just his auto-response to any unexpected hit he gets. "For being an asshole" Shoko spits out. There was already a forming
red bruise on Gojo's cheek, the ache is hard
to ignore as well, making him quietly hiss from the pain and Shoko's straightforward answer.

"Stop acting like that" she says with an almost strained voice. "Like what?" he did not meant
to sound ignorant, all he wants is a clear answer.

"You know what I mean!" Shoko snapped because

this man who's supposedly the strongest is
acting like a boy. With each passing second, her
patience towards him grows thin."Yeah Y/n
is Geto's incarnate, but only his soul is there and not his conciousness. Don't you understand?"

"Y/n is not Geto, and never will be"
The woman spouted in one breathing, voice
trembling as she finished.

"I'm sorry" was all Gojo could say,
Don't cry he repeatedly chants internally
because if he did, he'd be showing weakness.

Shoko's anger soon converted into disappointment and sadness "I know it's hard losing a bestfriend — I lost him too afterall, but that doesn't mean you have to use other people to get over it. He's not even permanently gone, he'll return" she tries her best to keep a poker face, despite her brows twitching downwards as she forces herself not to cry.

Both of them was unknowingly trying to hide vulnerability from each other, despite being long time friends.

Gojo wanted to embrace Shoko, but he's
sure he'd receive another hit or two if he did
so. "I just love and miss Suguru a lot it hurts"
he admits in a meak voice, almost inaudible.

"I do too"

He shooks his head no gently; "I mean it in a
more than a friend way, Shoko"

Silence engulfed the two. The faint sounds of
car engines, people walking and chattering amongst themselves, and the machineries acted as white noise. If only he knew that Shoko has already experienced these kind of situations before, and it's just a matter of few questions and answer to clear the confusion. "What do you

think and feel about Geto?" she asks.

Almost immediately, with fists tightly clenched, brows furrowed, and an unwavering voice, Gojo answers; "he's amazing; his hair is like silk, his face is captivating, and his voice is similar to waves that crashes by the shore — soft yet powerful. He's a stubborn man who doesn't let anything get in the way of his beliefs. Suguru's like my other half"

"And with Y/n?"

Such simple questions that could result into
various responses with different levels of depth.

At the thought of Y/n; with all the times he spent with them in mind, his body unconciously began to relax. "I can't find the right words to describe them." Then he closes his eyes, deep in thought.

"All I can say is if the word
home is a person, then it would be
Y/n"

A small smile is slowly making its way onto Shoko's lips, so she tries to hide it by walking slowly
to stand beside Gojo "When did you start liking
Geto?"

"Honestly? I kind off admired him when we became friends, though I sorted my feelings out during Suguru's third reincarnation as... Y/n." he trailed off at the end of his sentence, Gojo's
sudden silence proved to Shoko that he's slowly
but surely putting the puzzle pieces together.

Shoko chuckles, tired but relieved. She then
slings an arm around Gojo's shoulder in an attempt to comfort. "Don't you think you're just
confusing platonic and romantic love? Not that
I'm trying to dictate your feelings."

Too much information sometimes overwhelms
Gojo, added the fact that his six eyes is constantly active, combined with his infinity. This is an example of it. He's also not too big on the emotional intelligence department sometimes — for he was raised into thinking that developing his powers is what he should focus on more than anything else.

He meant it when he said he's just going to watch over whoever his bestfriend's reincarnation will be, still he couldn't help but fall for Y/n. He craves for their presence, he just couldn't get enough, that's why he's willing to wait centuries for them to be reborn. But because he's blinded by grief of losing Geto, knowing his soul is living within Y/n's body as punishment, he thinks that he's inlove with the soul and not the beholder.

Does that makes sense? Even to Gojo it doesn't. That's how complicated things will be if immortals continues to meddle with the things they aren't supposed to. This is exactly why they should follow the only rule of their kind. However, this is love we're talking about.

And love makes people do stupid things.

Gojo doesn't need to vocalize it, the friend telepathy already did its job and sent a message
to Shoko that he's finally brought to reality. He laughs at his own stupidity; just how could he hurt the person he swore to protect? "Why are you helping me? I'm an asshole"

Shoko puts a cigarette to her mouth and lit it

up with a lighter she hid in her pocket "yeah you are, but you're still my bestfriend"

The heavy atmosphere that blanketed the two
was finally lifted. Their little friendship quarrel
and internal crisis has been solved, only after
somebody has been hurt.

"Now go get Y/n. You better make it up to them" she pats his shoulder a few times, urging him
to literally sprint. "I will" and sprint he did.

When he arrived infront of Y/n's hospital room,
he slammed the door open. They were staring off
in the far distance and wasn't even alarmed by the noise, the most they did is look at Gojo dead
in the eyes in betrayal.

The thing is, Shoko completely forgot to mention
that Y/n became aware of the whole situation, for some reason.

Y/n spent their time alone processing the weight
of the situation and how greatly Gojo deceived
them into thinking that they're loved and valuable, multiple times throughout the years too. Perhaps, it's their mistake to conclude that he's different from the others.

"Satoru" the usual gentleness of their voice
is no longer present. "Y/n" Gojo on the other hand, had all of it.

In a blink of an eye, Gojo wraps his arms protectively around his lover. It didn't take too
long for both their heartbeats to sync, and they felt it.

Despite having their heart broken, Y/n couldn't help but return the hug while letting a few tears slip away. They just couldn't resist, not when the love they have for Gojo is overflowing to the point that they'd allow him to continue pretending if it means receiving his attention and affections. I'd deny myself heaven if I pushed
him away they thought. Just act like everything's fine.

Two hearts still beating eratically, but from different reasons. One is from guilt, the other is betrayal. One's hug is a form of apology, and the other is silently forgiving.

In a way, they're both
blinded by love.